EURETINA BOARD

	PRESIDENT Gisbert Richard GERMANY University Eye Hospital of Hamburg richard@uke.uni-hamburg.de
	PRESIDENT ELECT Francesco Bandello ITALY University Vita-Salute, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan bandello.francesco@hsr.it
	GENERAL SECRETARY Sebastian Wolf SWITZERLAND University of Bern Sebastian.wolf@insel.ch
BOARD MEMBERS Bill Aylward UK Moorefields Eye hospital,London bill@aylwards.co.uk Alain Gaudric FRANCE Hôpital Lariboisière, Universitè Paris VII, Paris Alain.gaudric@lrb.ap-hop-paris.fr Jan van Meurs THE NETHERLANDS The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam janvanmeurs@cs.com Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth AUSTRIA Vorstand der Klinik für Augenheilkunde and Optometrie, Mediz, Vienna Ursula.schmidt-erfurth@meduniwien.ac.at Einar Stefánsson ICELAND National University Hospital, 101 Reykjavík einarste@landspitali.is David Wong UK Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool dr.david.wong@mac.com Frank Holz GERMANY University Eye Hospital Bonn frank.holz@ukb.uni-bonn.de Anat Loewenstein ISRAEL Tel Aviv Medical Centre, Tel Aviv anatlow@tasmc.health.gov.il   CO-OPTED BOARD MEMBERS Carl Awh USA Tennessee carlawh@gmail.com José Carlos Pastor SPAIN Valladolid pastor@ioba.med.uva.es Thomas Wolfensberger SWITZERLAND Lausanne thomas.wolfensberger@fa2.ch   PROGRAMME COMMITTEE Gisbert Richard GERMANY (Chairman) Sebastian Wolf SWITZERLAND Francesco Bandello ITALY Einar Stefánsson ICELAND Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth AUSTRIA   PAST PRESIDENTS Bill Aylward UK August F. Deutman THE NETHERLANDS Rosario Brancato ITALY Borja Corcóstegui SPAIN José Cunha-Vaz PORTUGAL EURETINA SECRETARIAT European Society of Retina Specialists Temple House, Temple Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland TEL: + 353 1 2100092 FAX: + 353 1 2091112 Email: euretina@euretina.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EURETINA bye laws

1 - NAME & HEADQUARTERS

1. The name of this society is EuRetina – Europäische Gesellschaft für Netzhautspezialisten (EURETINA - European Society of Retina Specialists) e.V
2. It is an European scientific society officially registered in Hamburg, Germany. The Society shall be registered with the Societies' Register at the district court of Hamburg.
3. The business year of EuRetina is the calendar year.

2 - AIMS OF THE SOCIETY

1. The aims of EuRetina are
   1. To establish personal contacts and to promote the exchange of knowledge between vitreoretinal and macula specialists in Europe.
   2. To stimulate and encourage vitreoretinal and macula research in Europe.
   3. To promote the diffusion of specific knowledge to the general ophthalmologists in Europe.
   4. To keep contact with similar groups in other continents.
      
2.   The aims of the society will be realized by holding scientific meetings every two years and by offering its members a forum for the exchange of ideas.
   
3. The decision to change the aims of EuRetina can only be made by a three-quarter majority of the General Assembly.

3 - NON-PROFIT STATUS

1. EURETINA is a non-profit organization aiming exclusively at non-profit purposes as defined by “tax-privileged purposes” according to the German Fiscal Code.
   
2. The activities of the Society are unselfish. I t is precluded to pursue economically selfish purposes.
   
3. Its means are allowed to be used only in accordance with the aims of the Society.
   
4. Members do not get allocations out of the means of the Society.
   
5. No person is allowed to benefit from the society as a result of a disproportionately high compensation or as a result of allocations respectively expenses which are not in accordance with the aims of EURETINA.

4 - FINANCIAL RESOURCES

1. The EuRetina may acquire financial resources by donations from other societies, private persons, government or industrial organizations.
   
2. The annual dues may be established and ratified by the Board. As long as the financial situation allows it, annual dues are not charged.
   
3. A financial report is presented by the General Secretary each year.

5 - MEMBERSHIP

1. Natural individuals who have reached the age of majority and legal entities can become a member of EURETINA.
   
2. Voting members are founding members, honorary members, and ordinary members except non-European members as well as research scientists from the industry.
   
3. The Executive Committee decides whether a new member is acceptable.
   
4. Other vitreoretinal and macula societies may join or become associated to EuRetina.
   
5. Membership shall terminate on the occurrence of any of the following events.
   - Death
   - Resignation of a member by a written notice to the board
   - Expiration of the period of membership due to failure to pay annuals dues in case the Board had decided to charge annual dues.
   - The Board may decide the expulsion of the member when the member has engaged seriously prejudicial to the purposes and interests of the EuRetina.
   
6. Expulsion:
   The member shall be given 15 days prior written notice and the reasons for the proposed expulsion. The member shall be given an opportunity to appeal to the General Assembly and to be heard either orally or in writing at least 5 days before the effective date of the proposed expulsion. After this disciplinary hearing, the Board can decide by a two-third majority whether the expulsion should take place or not. The decision of the Board shall be final and binding. Any action challenging a expulsion or termination of membership must be commenced within one year of the date of the suspension, expulsion or termination.

6 - THE BOARD

The general management of the EuRetina shall be vested in an elected Board.

1. The Board of Officers shall consist of the President, the Vice President, and up to 9 elected Board members.
   
2. One member of the Board, usually the President Elect, is the Program Secretary for the next meeting.
   
3. The immediate Past President shall remain on the Board for a period of two years.
   
4. The Board shall elect its President for a term of two years which term shall not be renewable. Postal vote is possible.
   
5. The President Elect shall be nominated and elected at least one year before his term of office is due to begin.
   
6. The General Secretary shall be elected for a time period of six years. A re-election is possible. The vote should be by means of a secret ballot. If the General Secretary retires from his position at the end of his term on the Board then he may serve on the Board for an additional two years period as a past officer.
   
7. Any officer may be removed at any time by a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Board.
   
8. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the General Secretary. Any such resignation shall take effect as at the date of such notice or at any later time specified therein.
   
9. Elections to the Board:
   Board members shall be elected by the General Assembly by a simple majority for a period of four years and may be re-elected for a further period of four years only. Proposals for election may be made by any EuRetina member or the Board. To be eligible for election the proposed candidate must be a member of EuRetina and must accept the nomination in writing. The Board shall formulate procedures that allow a reasonable opportunity for a nominee to the Board to communicate to members the nominee's qualifications and reasons for the nominee's candidacy. Not more than two ordinary members of the Board may be from the same country.
   
10. Co-opted Members:
    The Board may co-opt additional members by a two-thirds majority vote to represent important membership groups which are otherwise not represented and t o provide skills otherwise not available from the elected Board. Only members of EuRetina can be co-opted to the Board.
    
    Co-opted Board members will have all rights of elected Board members with the exception of voting rights at Board meetings. Co-opted members shall serve a term of two years and their co-option can be renewed once for an additional two years. The renewal shall be agreed by a two-thirds majority of the Board. Time served on the Board as a co-opted member does not count with respect to the rules for elected members. Therefore a co-opted member if elected can then serve a full two year term as an elected board member.
    
11. Meetings of the Board should be held once a year. The Board shall vote and make decisions if there is a quorum of 50% plus 1 voting Board member at the Board Meeting. If the vote is equally divided, the President shall have the casting vote. Any Board member who fails to attend more than two consecutive Board meetings shall be automatically expelled from the Board unless the circumstances are extraordinary.
    
12. The Board can take only a limited liability for the society and its members based on the property of EURETINA. A reference to restrictions of liability must be included in all agreements and legally relevant declarations of the EURETINA society.
    
13. EURETINA can be represented in legal and non-legal proceedings only by the President of the Board and by the Vice President. Both can represent the Society alone.

7 -  EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. The Executive Committee consists of the President, the General Secretary, the Past President, the President Elect and the Program Secretary to ensure that the decisions of the Board are implemented.
   
2. To facilitate the work of EuRetina , the Executive Committee shall have the right to invite up to 10 non-members of the Executive to attend these meetings.
   
3. Duties of the General Secretary
   The General Secretary shall co-ordinate the organisation of the Board and the general meetings of EuRetina . He shall maintain contact between officers and members of EuRetina . He shall keep accurate minutes of the Board meetings.
   
   In addition to his annual report, the General Secretary shall present to the Board a financial report on the Society and the accounts of EuRetina confirmed by a second person. At the termination of his period of office the General Secretary should hand over all documents in his possession to his successor.

8 - THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1. The members of EuRetina shall meet every two years for a General Assembly.
   
2. This shall be held during the scientific meeting. The President chairs the General Assembly. In case of his absence the oldest Board member present takes the chair.
   
3. The meeting will be convoked by the General Secretary. The invitation including the agenda will be circulated by mail, fax or e-mail to the latest known address of members four weeks before the meeting specifying place and time of the General Assembly. The agenda of the General Assembly is made up by the General Secretary. The invitation to the General Assembly should point out that additional applications can be included in the agenda afterwards if the General Assembly decides this by a three-quarter majority.
   
4. An extraordinary General Assembly may also be convoked at any other time than at the scientific meeting if one third of the members submit a written application to the Executive Committee which details the causes for this additional meeting.
   
5. Decisions can only be made on subjects that are specified in the agenda of the meeting.
   
6. The General Assembly decides about
   a)  approval of the budget and the accounts
   b)  appointment of the members of the Board
   c)  election of the General Secretary
   d)  confirmation of new members
   e)  modification of the statutes
   f) dissolution of the society
   
7. The General Assembly constitutes a quorum independently of the number of present members. Each member has one vote. A member may represent another member by written authority. Decisions are made by simple majority. Abstentions do not count as valid votes. Electronic voting is possible.
   
8. Decisions on the modification of the statutes, the change the aims of the society and its dissolution can be made only by a three-quarter majority vote of the present voting members.
   
9. The chairperson decides about the kind of voting. It must be done by letter if one third of the present voting members applies for this.
   
10. A report of the meeting will be made and signed by the chairperson. If there are amendments, they must be taken down in the minutes word-for-word. The report will be available to the membership.
    
11. The General Assembly is not public. Guest and media may join the General Assembly if the General Assembly has agreed.

9 - PUBLICATIONS

1. EURetina shall have the right to publish scientific journals, newspaper and other print and electronic materials as approved by the Board.

10 -  SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

1. EURetina shall hold a scientific meeting every two years alternately to the meetings of the Club Jules Gonin. Any other scientific meetings can be organized as deemed appropriate by the Board
   
2. The President of EuRetina is responsible for the scientific programme, the organization and the budget of scientific meetings. It is necessary to organize the meetings in a way that does not result in financial losses.
   
3. The budget for the meetings has to be approved by the Executive Committee. Financial surplus is credited to EuRetina.
   
4. Fund raising and reducing the extra costs of the meetings (for rooms, organization etc.) as much as possible should enable not to charge annual dues.
   
5. Referees' expenses can be paid only in special circumstances.

11 - AMENDMENTS

1. New Bye Laws may be adopted or the current Bye Laws may be amended or appealed by approval a three-quarter majority vote of the present voting members at the General Assembly.

12 - DISSOLUTION

1. The decision to dissolve EuRetina will be made on the proposal of the Executive Committee or of twenty members of the society. This proposal has to be circulated to all members ninety days prior to the General Assembly where voting concerning the dissolution will take place.
   
2. The decision to dissolve EuRetina can only be made by a three-quarter majority of all members.
   
3. In case EuRetina should dissolve or abolish tax-privileged purposes according to the German Fiscal Code, its property devolves on a corporation under public law or another tax-privileged corporation for the purpose of supporting ophthalmology.